1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to the field of closure devices. More specifically, the invention pertains to flexible closure devices. By further characterization, the invention relates to a flexible closure device that takes a generally planar shape in an open position and that takes a generally arcuate shape in a closed position thereby conforming to a curved surface when closing an opening in the surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aerospace vehicles commonly have non-planar, curved surfaces to provide the vehicle with an aerodynamically efficient, structurally sound exterior. It is often desirable to provide openings in these surfaces so that, for example, cargos may be loaded and unloaded, instruments extended and retracted, payloads stored and dropped and the like. For the vehicle to maintain aerodynamic efficiency, these openings require a closure that conforms to the curved exterior surface of the vehicle.
In the past, closures designed to meet this requirement have been bulky structures. This bulkiness, most apparent when the closure is in an open position, is due to the necessary arcuate shape of the device.
In instances where an object such as a cargo or payload is stored such that the one side of the object makes up a portion of the periphery of a vehicle's curved surface, the jettisoning or dropping of the object will leave an undesirable discontinuity in the vehicle's exterior surface. Once the vehicle is aloft, this discontinuity can only be filled by a closure device stored previously on the vehicle. A device that has the desired surface conformity can occupy a large volume of the vehicle's storage space.